The kiosk located on the first floor of the International Education Building closed down at the start of the second semester. This measure was decided by the Office of Financial Affairs, according to a school policy that does not favor multiple facilities with identical purposes within a building. The Italian restaurant ?a Cucina, located right beside the kiosk, will serve light refreshments outside their restaurant in place of the kiosk.
The kiosk, formally run by the Ewha Consumers Cooperative Association (ECOOP), was established last year as a temporary facility to meet the needs of the students using the building. Soon after La Cucina opened, the two establishments have attracted a different kind of clientele: Due to its rather unaffordable prices to students, mostly professors and guests have visited La Cucina; on the other hand, the students of the Division of International Studies, Graduate School of International Studies, foreign exchange students, and others entering the building have utilized the kiosk for its more affordable products.
Students express their concerns regarding the removal of the kiosk. Jang Yu-won (International Studies, 2) says, ?he major role of the facilities within the school is to serve the students needs. La Cucina gave me a sense of commercialism from the beginning. And now it deepens even more. Regarding this concern, Cho Won-sook, the director of the Division of Purchases of the Office of Financial Affairs says, ?e promise to aim for the maximization of the students and faculties convenience.
Regarding the decision, Lee Sook-kyung, the director of ECOOP says, ?s a body that uses the school? facilities, we have an obligation to follow the school? policy. However, ECOOP also confirmed that if complaints persist, an opening of a kiosk near the International Education Building might be considered and discussed with the school.
La Cucina feels that the removal is inevitable as the measure was a condition of their contract with the school, which agreed that the kiosk was to be closed following La Cucina? opening. ?owever, we are in a dilemma now, says Jang Yoon-hee, the director of La Cucina. ?e have not had much profit in running the restaurant here, and now we are faced with another sacrifice. The worry is about the decrease of sales of their main dishes on the menu, and about creating cafeteria-style dishes that are lower in price, yet match up to the quality of La Cucina.
However, despite all concerns, La Cucina? outside cafeteria opened on Aug. 16 with a whole new atmosphere. The menu includes light meals such as shrimp fried rice for 3,000 won; slice pizza for 3,000 won; salad for 2,500 won, etc. When the semester starts off, additional dishes such as kimbab will be added to the menu.
j_elle@ewhain.net
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